A new virtual reality experience is set to be launched, spotlighting the untold story of Bertha Benz, who was the groundbreaking female automotive pioneer who embarked on the world’s first road trip in 1888 (driving an internal-combustion-engined automobile – the Benz Patent-Motorwagen). Benz drove the vehicle for 105 kilometres.
Benz’s crucial role in automotive history has been long overshadowed by her husband’s name on the patent yet a new VR experience Trailblazer (starring Daisy Ridley) sets out to correct the historical record.
The mini-movie (20 minutes run time) has been made by Emmy nominated, multi-award winning director Eloise Singer. Singer is an Emmy-nominated British producer, writer, and director known for her bold and innovative storytelling. Singer produced, wrote and directed The Pirate Queen (2023), starring Lucy Liu.
The project is executive produced by BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated Lesley Paterson (All Quiet on the Western Front), Daisy Ridley, as well as Singer, whose combined talents bring Benz’s remarkable journey to life.
Singer also executive produced Rare Beasts, starring Billie Piper, and The Last Rifleman, starring Pierce Brosnan. Singer’s work has been showcased at festivals worldwide, including Venice, SXSW, BFI London, Tribeca, and Sundance: London.
Outside of her film credits, Singer has an interesting backstory – she is the great-great-granddaughter of Isaac Singer, the inventor of the Singer Sewing Machine, and Isabella Eugénie Boyer, the model for the Statue of Liberty.
Set in Germany in 1888, Trailblazer immerses the viewer in a world where groundbreaking innovation collides with deep societal resistance. Karl Benz has just patented the world’s first motorcar, the ‘horseless carriage,’ but scepticism from the press and public threatens its success.
While Karl Benz, a brilliant but hesitant engineer, doubts its reception, his bold and determined wife, Bertha, envisions a future shaped by the car’s potential. Recognizing that the world needs to see the invention in action, she takes an unprecedented risk to ensure its place in history.
The VR experience premiered at the Venice Film Festival and SXSW, where it received widespread praise for its groundbreaking storytelling and immersive design.
Speaking about the movie, Daisy Ridley says: “Bertha’s determination and courage are incredibly inspiring. It’s been such a privilege to step into her world and help tell her story. I hope audiences are as moved by her journey as I was while working on this project.”
Singer aims to expand the ‘Trailblazer’ franchise into a graphic novel series and a feature film, with BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated Lesley Paterson (All Quiet on the Western Front) and Daisy Ridley, as executive producers.
While Benz was an important figure for the development of automobiles, she was also a supporter of Hitler and the Nazi Party in later life. These less savoury aspects may be drawn out in later productions.
Trailblazer: The Untold Story of Mrs Benz will be released on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 on March 7, 2025 ahead of International Women’s Day.
